First Edition of the Second Sherlock Holmes Book with an Autograph Note Signed by Doyle

First edition, printed in Lippincott's Magazine Series [No.
266]. Octavo (9 x 5.825 inches; 228 x 149 mm.). [2, title], 147-308
pages (The Sign of the Four concluding on page 223). With
engraved frontispiece, 52 pages of ads at front and back, and the
eight-page "With the Wits" supplement interspersed.

Original wrappers, with front wrapper lacking. First leaf loose.
Spine chipped, with some loss at head and foot. A few instances of
light spotting, and dampstaining to top margins of especially the
last third of the text block. Overall, a good copy of this
exceedingly rare edition. Housed in a folding box of gilt brown
leatherette, lined with red paper, with gilt side title and the
printed paper bookplate of renowned book collector H. Bradley
Martin.

A venerable copy of this scarce edition of the second Sherlock
Holmes novel, famously commissioned by Lippincott's managing
editor Joseph M. Stoddart at a dinner also attended by Oscar Wilde
(who would come to contribute The Picture of Dorian Gray to
the July 1890 issue of the magazine). Once part of the library of
H. Bradley Martin, and appropriately housed in a custom folding
box, this copy also comes with an autograph note signed by
Doyle, written on Reform Club stationery: "Dear Sir[:] Many
thanks for your very kind invitation. I regret extremely that I
will be unable to come. Yours faithfully[,] A Conan Doyle."

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